Overload
by Palmtree Iroh
Summary: When Aang's asked to kill the Fire Lord, and the enormous pressure continues to mount, it might just lead to an overload.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so this is my first attempt at writing fanfiction, so you know, it's a little nerve-wrecking, but I hope you enjoy it the most you can, this first chapter's just a bit of recap, and then we get into the good stuff.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its awesome characters.**

Aang restlessly bounced back and forth on the two sides of his pillow, attempting to find that one cool spot that would finally propel him into deep sleep. But he couldn't.

He had been attempting, to no avail, to explain to the rest of his friends the complexity of the situation: if Ozai dies, he betrays himself and his ideals, and everything his dear friend Monk Gyatso taught him. If he lives, then the Fire Lord's terror and tyranny will continue to descend upon the Earth.

He finally decided he would not get anywhere lying on the ground; he shook the covers off him, stood up, and walked slowly to the balcony. Momo was waiting for him, hovering over to Aang, and then dropping down onto his shoulder, his tail wrapping around Aang's neck.

_Everything's a mess right now, isn't it? _He thought. His ill-timed kiss with Katara had been replaying in his memory for days now. Aang couldn't help feeling the two were connected somewhere, somehow; solve this problem, and it will solve this problem. Oh, he had no idea where this feeling came from or even what it was. He couldn't identify it, a foreign substance, in what felt like a foreign body. However, if he were to defeat the Fire Lord, and win over the love of his life, it would all start with this feeling that he held inside himself right now. And then he wandered into the open ocean.

"ZUKO, WAKE UP! We can't find Aang anywhere!"

The Fire Nation Prince sprang to his feet. "What? What are you talking about?!" he screamed at Katara, "That punk thinks he can run off on us right before we face the Fire Lord?!"

"AND WE CAN'T FIND MOMOOOOOOOOOOOOOO EITHER!" yelled Sokka, flailing his arms around, like a Magikarp.

"We've searched everywhere he could have possibly been, he's gone, but his glider's still here, so he hasn't gone far." Katara explained, watching Zuko's eyes drift off into the water. "Hey are you even paying any attention! Aang, your student, is missing and he's our only shot at taking down the Fire Lord! This is no time to be thinking about going for a swim!"

"It's not me who went for a swim." Zuko pointed out. Katara frustratingly turned to see what Zuko was motioning towards, and she gaped.

A humongous island now stood near the horizon, it's terrain covered with raggedy trees and earth. What's more, it appeared to be moving.

Toph walked towards the now wide-eyed Katara and mystified Zuko, " What? What is it?"

"It's a giant island." stated Zuko.

"So? There are plenty of those big islands around here, I've felt them," Toph said with confidence.

"Only, this one's different, it seems almost like it's moving," said Katara.

"Okay, okay, Katara, who's the geography expert around here?" asked Sokka, with the tone of a rhetorical.

Toph briefly exhaled and stated the obvious, "Me."

Sokka blankly glared at Toph for a few seconds, before rephrasing his question, " Katara, who's the second-best geography expert around here?"

"You, I guess," Katara replied, with annoyance.

"That's right! And as the second-best geography expert, I can confidently say that Islands DON'T MOVE!"

"Hang on a minute," Toph insisted, " all islands are connected to the ground, which means I should be able to feel them. But I can't feel this one, the one you're all talking about. I think Katara's right. It is moving.

"But that doesn't make any sense! Islands don't move!" Sokka shouted.

"Maybe it isn't an island." Toph replied.

"Oh, great, so now we're supposed to think Aang swam out to a giant fake-island thing hours before flying off to take on the fire lord and he's riding on it right now?"

"He was really upset about the whole Ozai thing," Katara said, her conscious guilted on the idea that her reaction to his kiss had something to do with it.

"Guys, I think we're going swimming," Zuko announced.

Sokka face-palmed himself in disgust.

**Again, sorry for the small chapter size and basically recap format, with a little deviation at the end there, I just needed to set things up for the next chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Sorry, for the large delay between chapters, I've just been really busy with school this past week, but my schedule should settle down soon.**

**Also, I want to thank my reviewers, as I appreciate any constructive criticism you can give to me. And, of course I want to thank the people who decided to follow this story, it really means a lot and I hope I don't disappoint!**

Aang arose form his deep sleep, Momo still wrapped around his neck, purring quietly.

"Hey Momo," he said as he rubbed his eyelids, "I just had the strangest dream..." and he looked around in disbelief. He was sitting on rugged ground, populated with trees, and water surrounding him on all sides.

"Where are we?"

"Are we there yet?" Sokka whined, sharpening his boomerang. "You know if we don't get to that island thing soon, then, then...my schedule will be ruined!"

"What a shame," Toph said.

"It will be." Sokka muttered.

"Guys, focus! If we can't find Aang, no schedule's gonna be able to help us," Katara explained.

The group was traveling underwater, in a water-bubble Katara had bended around them. They had started their journey several hours ago, but still they seemed no closer to reaching the land mass where they believed Aang was.

"Well, even if we get to the island, and Aang's on it, how do we know that he'll come back with us?" Sokka said.

"Because he has to," Zuko said simply.

"Why?"

"The avatar's duty to the world is to protect both the people and the peace; if he can't or won't do that, then he shouldn't be considered the avatar," Zuko said, and then began to stare outside the bubble, into the mysterious, open water around him.

Aang stood up, and paced around, attempting to figure out what had happened.

_Maybe we're in the spirit world_, he thought. He air bended a swift gust of wind to test out his theory. _Guess not, _and he began walking aimlessly towards the heart of the island, when something caught his eye: a track of footprints.

"Someone's been here before us," Aang said aloud. "Maybe if we find them, they can give us some answers." He changed his pace to a run, anxiously. About now was the time he was due to arrive at the Fire Nation, to take down the Fire Lord. But perhaps, fate had other plans for him.

"Oh, what I would do for a piece of meet right about now," Sokka said clutching his stomach.

"Sokka! Be quiet, I can't concentrate if you're-," Katara began only to be silenced by a loud bump; they had reached the island.

"Whoa," the group said simultaneously. The island towered above the water, its height seeming immeasurable. Obviously distracted by this, Katara had neglected to see the sharp jagged rocks poking through the bubble. Suddenly, there was a loud popping noise.

Everyone rushed quickly to the surface, Suki assisting Toph.

"Sorry, guys!" Katara said, floating in the water. "Hey, wait a minute, where's Sokka?"

They looked around, but could find no trace of him.

Sokka, being the one closest to the pop, had been thrust far from the others, to the northern most part of the island.

"KATARA!" he screamed, bobbing in the water, and gasping for air. He looked around, and noted he could not see any of the others.

"Katara?" he whimpered.

His head turned to the island. "This is all your fault, dumb jerky island!"

And then he noticed two monstrous eyes staring at him.

Sokka gulped.

Aang was still following the trail of footprints on the island.

"This trail seems to go on forever, Momo. At this rate, I'll never find the guy here before me." he said, now slumping tiredly on the ground.

"Wow, look Momo, they stopped!" Aang said, noticing the end of the trail only a few feet ahead of him.

As he approached the end of the trail, he spotted a man sitting, his back turned to Aang.

Aang could see the remnants of a goatee streaming down the man's face, his hair a dark jet of black. His entire body was drenched in burn scars. Aang noticed sideburns on either side of his face. And when the man spoke, Aang knew who the man in front of him was.

In a husky voice, the man said, "Hello...Avatar." He turned his face to meet Aang's.

Staring back at him was Zhao.

"Long time...no see."


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey all! Longer chapter because of a lot of exposition, but hopefully it's still enjoyable.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

Zhao's eyes darted back and forth, observing Aang's confusion and anger.

"What's wrong? Thought I was dead? Well, for all practical purposes, I am."

"You...drowned,"Aang said dumbfounded,"How are you here right now? Answer me, Zhao!" Aang demanded.

"You don't even remember what happened, do you?" Zhao asked, a smirk developing on his face.

"No...I don't," Aang remarked, his memory during the siege of the northern water temple a blur.

"You captured me and then banished me from this world, and sent me to another. And let me tell you Avatar, those...things in that other world, well put simply, they made a believer out of me."

Zhao stood up and began circling the perimeter of the space they stood in. Aang matched his movements, never allowing him to gain a step towards his direction.

"You were sent to the spirit world."

"Was," Zhao corrected, kicking a rock that stood in his path, "they thought there would be no greater punishment for a fire lord than to surround him with water...everywhere. You see, this place we are standing on right now doesn't exist in the spirit world or our world; it's limbo, an intermediate between two worlds."

Zhao paused, looking over Aang.

"Only those with a great spiritual energy can step foot on it, the others simply phase through what they believe to be an island. Though, I soon learned this was no island; it's an animal."

"What?" Aang said, now looking down beneath him, inspecting the island.

"We're standing on a legendary lion turtle," he gestured, flying his hands up in the air. "I had read about them in the ancient library. The creators of bending, the first creatures alive on this earth. At the time, I dismissed it as another hoax, another fairy tale. But as you can see, I was proven wrong," he hissed, "yet again."

" However, being wrong has its advantages: you never know what to expect." He smiled wickedly.

* * *

"Sokka!" Katara called, flipping her head around in all directions.

"It's no use, Sokka's probably nowhere near here. Our best bet is to check the island, see if he caught up with Aang." Zuko stated.

"Zuko's right, Katara," Toph added, "If we search the island, I can help you guys find him, but out here, I'm useless."

"I guess you're right." Katara said.

"Let's get going then," Zuko said. Zuko gripped a rock on the island's crust, and began climbing towards the base of the island. As he reached for the last rock that would propel him onto land, his hand passed through the rock, as if it were suddenly nonexistent. He lost his balance and fell back into the open water with a yell.

He bobbed up to the surface, choking on the water, as he said, " What just happened?"

"What did just happen?" Toph asked.

"You lost your balance Zuko, simple as that. Here, I'll try it," Suki said, as she attempted to scale the island's wall, only to have her hand phase through the rock as well, resulting in another fall into the water.

"Hold on a minute." Zuko said, and he began to climb the crust yet again, only to stop right before his hand felt the final rock.

"Watch this," he said. Zuko lifted his hand and slowly extended it to the rock, and it passed through the rock again.

"There's something wrong here."

* * *

"So...uh...see...any...cool...fish...lately?" Sokka stammered to the face of the lion turtle.

The lion turtle let out an immense booming sound, as if it were clearing its throat.

_You are not the one I seek. Bring me the Avatar, _it said.

"Oh. Well, ya see...we kinda have no idea where he is right now." Sokka said, whimpering.

_The Avatar is here, on my shell. You must...no, you cannot step here, you are completely void of spirit. You would only phase like the others, attempting it this moment._

"Sorry to disappoint you, Mr. Monster, sir. Hey, wait a minute, my friends can't get on either? But they're benders."

_Bending is not spirit energy; It is of physical form. Only a few individuals even possess spirit energy, they are those who are in touch with themselves and their outside two on my shell have both accomplished this; one with intense training, the other was born with it._

"Two?"

* * *

" Time passes differently here than in our world. It slows down and speeds up simultaneously; You see, Avatar I've been stranded here for a little over 10,000 years."

Aang noticed Zhao's hands hand began to tremble, and his demeanor becoming anxious.

"I had all the free time in the world; I meditated every day, trying to find a way off this rock. In doing so, you could say I found my spiritual side. I asked the lion turtle to teach me its powers, everything it knew. Of course, I was denied, my spirit stemming from evil, malevolence as it put it. So, I taught myself." He stopped circling, and took a step toward's Aang.

"I practiced everyday, mastering my energy and flowing it through my body. Sure, I may not have gotten it on the first try," he said, as he rubbed one of the numerous burn wounds over his body, "but I got it. I gained the power."

"Then why are you still here? Couldn't you have overpowered the lion turtle and escaped?"

"To accomplish what? Another trip to the spirit world? No, to escape I need power, more power than I contain right now. That's why I need you Avatar. You're the connection to the spirit world." Zhao started walking towards the avatar and closed his stance in a fire-bending combat form. "And you're my ticket out of here."

Zhao leapt towards him, and launched a barrage of fireballs at Aang. Caught off guard, he whisked most of the fire away with a gust of air, but he missed one, burning a streak across his shoulder.

" You've grown lazy Avatar, while I've only grown stronger." Zhao called out, marching towards him.

"That's what you think." Aang responded, and earth bended a rock resting under Zhao, striking his chin. Zhao staggered backwards with a growl.

"Earth bending, eh? That's a new trick."

"Trust me, I got plenty of them." And with that, Aang swept up a gust of air, blowing Zhao back, and knocking him against a tree.

"Well, you're not the only one." He leapt up and stretched his fingers out, a lightning bolt generating on his fingertips and launched it towards Aang.

Aang reached out his hands, and received the lightning, channeling it down his shoulder into his stomach and out back again, sending it out in Zhao's direction. It collided with several shrubs, immediately combusting them. Only Zhao was no longer in sight.

Aang's eyes flashed back and forth, but Zhao was nowhere to be seen.

And then he heard a voice behind him say, "It's time to burn, Avatar."

A heat so intense it was almost indescribable rushed through his body and engulfed his entire body. Orange, red, and yellow surrounded him. Aang screamed, and fell to the ground, his entire back, a dark red.

Zhao walked over slowly to him.

"Poor, pathetic avatar. Here," he said as he lifted his fingers, jerking Aang's face towards the sky and placing them on Aang's sweating forehead, "I'll end your suffering."

A gigantic luminous light burst from Zhao's eyes and mouth, reaching the sky and beyond. Aang's face replicated Zhao's, a light beam extending from him too. Aang felt blood rushing to his limbs, cut off, and his body felt numb, without power.

And then, something was severed; he could feel it inside of him. He could feel power drain out of him, and traveling through Zhao's hands.

Suddenly, the beams stopped, and Aang fell to the ground, shivering.

He screamed, and extended his arm, intending for a giant air whip knocking Zhao onto his feet. But it never came.

Zhao cackled viciously. " Looking for this?" he asked, sending a flurry of air, blasting Aang into the ground several feet behind him.

"Or how about this?" Zhao raised his arm, simultaneous shooting the earth beneath Aang several feet in the air.

"Or maybe this!" Zhao cried, performing a water-bending stance, his hands moving wildly. A massive tidal wave rose behind him.

" You know, they'll tell legends about the day. The day Avatar Zhao was born."

He flung his hands down, the tidal wave dropping rapidly on the island.

* * *

Zuko was the first to notice the massive wave expanding towards them.

"Katara! We've got to get out of here! Look!"

Katara followed his arm in the direction of the tidal wave, the distance between them closing.

"But, Sokka! Aang!"

"We don't have time! We've got to get out of here."

"We can't leave them there!"

"Katara!" Zuko screamed. "You don't need to worry about them, they'll be all right. They always are."

Katara contemplated; she nodded.

"Okay everybody, grab someone's hand." The group joined hands.

"It's gonna be a bumpy ride," Katara said.

She pushed her hands back, and they were all propelled. They skidded on the water with blinding speed, rushing towards shore.

* * *

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" Sokka screamed the giant wave just ahead of him, "UNFRIENDLY TSUNAMI!"

_The avatar: his power is gone. I cannot intervene. Child, you are the only one now who can save him. I must entrust my power to you._

"WAIT, WHAT?"

The lion turtle reached its hand out and placed it on Sokka's forehead.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! I've been really busy with schoolwork, and tons of events that are taking up my time so this chapter isn't gonna be that long, but without further ado, here it is.**

Sokka felt dazed and he could feel his hands limping by his sides, energy completely drained. He could not feel anything, at all. But still he could hear an echoed voice, an echoed voice urging him to move quickly...

_Quickly boy! You must move now, I have little energy left, I cannot hold off this wave much longer! You must save the Avatar._

And then Sokka felt a quick splash of water nudge his face and he jumped into consciousness.

"What just happened?" he asked to no one in particular.

_There is no time for questions, you must go. Now._

With that, the owner of that mysterious voice sent the water below Sokka skyrocketing upwards, the wind slapping his face as he flew over the water and in the center of the shell.

"AAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHH" he screamed, and then, plummeting downwards, he noticed two figures on the earth below him: one hovering above the ground, cursing about what Sokka heard as "lion turtle," the man's face strained. He noticed the man had burnt skin in many places around his body.

Sokka turned his attention to the other figure, and recognized it as Aang, lying on the ground, burned, before he himself fell to the ground with a heavy thud, several meters away from Aang.

Sokka quickly jumped up to his feet.

"Aang! Come on! We gotta get out of here!" he yelled into Aang's face, but he was left with no response.

Sokka lifted Aang and slumped him onto his back. He sprinted towards the water, Aang rocking on his shoulders.

"Don't worry Aang. I'm gonna get you out of here! I won't be remembered as the guy who left the Avatar to die on a weird...island...thing!"

* * *

Veins popped into and out of Zhao's forehead at a rapid rate. His attention no longer remained with the now escaping Avatar, but with the Lion Turtle which had trapped him in purgatory for countless years upon years.

"No spirit's going to stop me yet again!"

The tsunami behind him had stalled, but not completely inching towards the island every second.

_You fool. The Avatar's powers cannot be controlled by those with corruption and malevolence._

Zhao spattered back to the voice, "Silence! I am the all-powerful Zhao, and you are nothing but a miserable, old, pathetic creature. I'll kill you like I killed the moon spirit. The only difference is you're not coming back."

The tsunami reached the cliff of the shell.

_You will not succeed. The people in this world will never kneel to you, _the turtle said, whimpering now.

Zhao smirked. " Well then, I guess I'll have to make some other worlds help."

The ancient being dismissed this comment, and briefly considered what had just happened, as it watched in the corner of its eye Sokka jump off the cliff, Aang still unconscious on his back. _Is that boy enough? No, I mustn't doubt him now. He is the only chance in this world now._

And when that thought had passed its mind, water overtook the lion turtle.

* * *

Sokka had only managed to swim a couple of meters before he felt water rise below him. He realized he was riding the tsunami.

"WOOHOO!" he screamed wildly, and then glanced down and he noticed he was about 100 feet above the ground.

"Oh, COME ON!" he complained.

Suddenly, Sokka felt the water behind him slowly wind down, and he spotted Katara on the shore, water bending the wave.

Before he could spout another sarcastic comment, he no longer could feel any water below him, and he fell yet again.

Sokka washed up on the shore about 20 seconds later, carrying Aang, and spewing water out of his mouth.

"Sokka! Aang!" Katara called, and she ran up to embrace her brother. "How's he doing?"

"He was knocked out cold when I got to him. I think it might have been caused by the other guy on the island."

"What other guy?" Zuko inquired.

"Eh, I couldn't really make much out, but he had some bushy sideburns and a bunch of burns on his skin."

"It was Zhao," mumbled Aang, opening his eyes. The group all looked towards him, stunned.

"What do you mean it was Zhao!?" Zuko asked. "I watched the ocean spirit drag him into the water. He drowned. He's dead, Aang!"

"He...he took my bending."

For a long while, the only sound that could be heard was the wind whistling and mocking them all.


	5. Chapter 5

If there were ever a perfect moment for a tumbleweed, it would have been now.

"Umm, what?" Sokka said.

"We all heard him, Sokka," Zuko said, hushed, still processing this information.

"No, I seriously couldn't hear, water backed up in my ears from that giant tsunami that almost killed me. Hold on just a second." He tilted his head sideways and stood motionless for about 20 seconds.

"All right, I'm good. Continue."

"What do you mean he took your bending?" Zuko asked.

"I can't...bend anymore. I tried, and I can't. None of the elements. He...he stole my bending. He made that tsunami with my water bending." Aang said, still struggling to get out the words.

"But it doesn't make any sense. Maybe it was bloodbending?" Katara asked.

Aang shook his head. "I still know the feeling from last time, this was nothing like that."

Sokka, still feeling rather strange, tiptoed away from the conversation and entered Aang's hut.

He seemed drawn here, like a massive energy force pulling at him, leading him to...Aang's glider.

He turned and looked back towards the group: Zuko badgering Aang with questions, Toph poking her finger in her ear, Suki blindly staring into space, and Katara hunched behind Aang, bending healing water over his wounds.

He turned back towards the glider. A white shroud began to surround it. Sokka shrugged and grabbed it with his right hand.

Suddenly, a force pushed him into the air and out the window, the breeze tailing him.

"AAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he screamed. Sokka attempted to control the movement of the glider, which was heading straight in the direction of the group, but it wouldn't budge.

"Brace for impact, Sokka" he told himself and the glider crashed below Zuko's feet.

He popped his face out of the beach, and lifted his face up, which was now covered in sand

"I like it. It's a good look for you." Toph said.

"Sokka get up, we don't have time for-" Katara began and then stopped. "How did you manage to fly Aang's glider?"

"Because I'm Sokka, master of the universe?"

"I control the glider with air bending, there's no other way to fly it," Aang said.

"That means you must have used...air bending on the glider...," Katara declared.

"You think I'm the guy who stole Aang's bending? Pah-leese," he said, placing his arm on Katara's shoulder, a small white shroud emerging at the touch, "Even without bending, I'm stronger than all of you," he said, thrusting his arm outwards.

Suddenly, a giant wave of water appearing out of nowhere smacked them all down, drenching them in water and seaweed.

"Umm, well, as I was saying," he cleared his throat, extending his arms. "I think that-"

"Woah!"

A water whip streamed out from the ocean and slammed Suki right in the ribs.

"Uhhh, should I stop?"

Katara's healing water dropped all over Aang's back.

"Oh, sorry Aang." He reached out her arms in a bending motion to collect more water from the ocean, but nothing stirred.

"My bending isn't working," and she stared down at her hands, "whatever's happening took my bending too."

"Oh, please Katara." And with that, another giant wave swept over only Katara this time, as if to prove a point.

Katara stood up, drenched in water and pointed her finger at Sokka. "It's you! Sokka, you must be doing something! My bending was just fine until you crashed down with Aang's glider and then...you put your hand on my shoulder! You must be doing whatever you're doing through physical touch!"

"Katara, I'm not doing anything! Look I'll prove it to you!" He turned towards the water.

"Umm." He extended his hand. "Hai-ya!" The water in front of him rippled violently, and suddenly burst up directly into the air, like an explosion.

Sokka stared at the water for a long time.

He finally was able to conjure up one word: "HUH?!"

"I knew being the funny guy was just a cover up! You stole Aang's bending, didn't you?" Zuko asked, forming a fireball around his hand.

"NO! I didn't do anything to Aang! That island did something to me!"

"The island?"

"Yes! Except, it wasn't really an island. It had giant paws and eyes! And then it said something about energy, how you guys were trying to get on top of its shell, but you didn't have enough spiritual energy, and then it touched my head, and catapulted me onto the shell!" Sokka explained, out of breath.

"So that explains why we weren't able to scale it." Zuko said.

"Zhao said something about a lion turtle." Aang said, regaining what little strength he had, "He said it was a spiritual being, that it was one of the original benders. Maybe the turtle gave you this power, Sokka."

Sokka scratched his chin. "Well, even if it did, I definitely wasn't its first choice, I was just the only guy around in the middle of the ocean."

"It was a final stand." Zuko said. "That means you're the only one who's left to stop the fire lord and return Aang's bending."

"But I don't even know how to control this thing!" he declared, staring down at his hands. "I'm Sokka! The meat and sarcasm guy! I can't save the world."

"Yes, you can." Katara said, placing her arm on his shoulder. The rest of the group did the same.

"Thanks, you guys." Sokka smiled, and as he did, the white ambiguous cloud returned to Katara.

* * *

Fire Lord Ozai sat in his throne room, staring into the fading sun.

"Sozen's comet is nearly here. The Fire Nation's work after a century of war will finally be complete. And I will be ruler of this new world."

"Are you so sure?" a voice called, appearing, silhouetted against the sun.

Ozai leapt up to his feet. "Who are you? How did you get past my soldiers?"

The figure began walking towards Ozai. "Soldiers? Is that what you call those pathetic, whimpering dogs? It seems you're not the only one to have gone soft in my absence, Ozai."

Ozai growled and shot his fingers at the man, lightning trailing from his fingertips. The man reached out his arm and caught the lightning with his hands.

"Lightning redirection!?"

The man extended his other arm, and lightning burst towards the fire lord, singing a few blades of hair and colliding with the wall behind him.

The man stepped into the light. "I'm afraid your reign is over, my lord," Zhao said.

"Zhao?"

"Let's skip the pleasantries. That throne...is mine."

The Fire Lord's veins began to pop out of his forehead. "I don't care how you're alive, you filthy traitor, but I will make an example out of you for all of the 4 nations for any who dare defy me! I am the Phoenix King!"

Zhao smirked.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! Quicker update this time because I got a lot of free time because of winter break. I'm trying to get to writing longer chapters, but I decided to keep this one shorter than I intended to get more planning time into the story. Anyways, enjoy!**

Ozai sprang to his feet and launched a giant wave of blue flame towards Zhao's head.

The flame shot out at incredible speed. Zhao sidestepped it just in time, leaving behind a few singed chin hairs in the process.

"Your resistance is pointless Ozai. You've no idea the power I've obtained, and I'm sure you wouldn't want to find out," Zhao said as he rubbed the afflicted burn spot on his chin. " Why don't you just keel over and stop wasting my time, you old fool."

"I see you've also grown quite arrogant in your quest for power, Zhao." The fire lord rested his arms by his side. "Tell me, out of curiosity, how did you survive the siege?"

"That's not important. Neither is your death. It is merely an inconvenience, and one that I plan to rid myself of!" Zhao raised his hands, and the floor beneath Ozai skyrocketed upwards hitting him in the jaw.

The Fire lord toppled to his feet, gasping for air as the shadow of Zhao grew nearer and nearer.

"Earth bending? What have you done to gain this power Zhao?" he muttered, blood trickling down from his mouth. "What have you done?"

"I'm sure you're aware of our mutual friend, the Avatar?" Zhao asked, smirking. "I relieved him of his duties."

"You killed him?" Ozai stalled, creating a small blue flame behind his back.

"Basically." Zhao responded.

Ozai yelled and unleashed his fire against Zhao. It leapt to the size of a train and engulfed Zhao, blue surrounding his body.

"The avatar was mine to defeat! Mine to kill!" Ozai roared into the flames. He lowered his hand and spoke more calmly now, more reassured. "However, you have spared me the inconvenience of some petty resistance from him and his friends. So, for that I must thank you."

The flames finally ceased and there remained a scarred, but not dead, Zhao. His entire chest was scorched, black seared along his entire torso. His face revealed minor burns all but for his left eye, which did not much resemble an eye anymore.

Ozai was surprised at first, then stared gravely at Zhao, and then burst into wicked laughter.

"It's even in the left eye! The same mark that stains my traitor son! How poetic!" he cackled, oblivious to the fact of Zhao's demonic grimace that now watched the Fire Lord.

Zhao reached for his left eye, and pressed his palm slightly on it. Or what was left of it.

* * *

"So what's our next move?" Sokka asked the others.

They had retreated farther inland to avoid any more of Sokka's uncontrolled waves swamping over them.

Katara had been healing Aang for the past hour or so, and his strength had been somewhat restored. Although, his mental state was not faring any better.

"We can't attack now. We're not ready." Zuko said.

"What about Sozin's comet? If the Fire Lord harnesses its power, he'll wipe out the Earth Kingdom and win the war." Katara reasoned.

"There's no way we'd be able to make a dent in any of the Fire Nation's defenses. Aang has no bending, and Sokka has no idea how to control his...power." Zuko got up, and began to pace unnervingly.

"The rest of us can still fight, ya know," Toph interjected.

"But we still don't know what Zhao's up to. He could be helping the fire lord as far as we know. There's no way we'd stand a chance," Zuko replied, kicking the sand as if searching for an answer buried deep beneath.

"Well, Zhao does have the power of the Avatar now. I don't see why he'd come back as the guy's guard dog. I think he's gonna try to take the throne for himself." Sokka said. "Think about it. He'd have the entire world under his grasp if he became Fire Lord."

"With his powers, and Sozin's comet coming up, he'd be the most powerful person on the planet," Zuko said, continuing Sokka's train of thought. He stared towards the sky. It looked like an orange void, like nothing would come out, but everything would come in.

"We're doomed." Aang stated simply.

"Aang!" Katara exclaimed. "You can't give up hope now." Then she turned towards everyone else. "We all can't give up hope."

"Well, what's your answer Katara? Hope? Hope's not gonna hand you the solution to our problems, we have to find it for ourselves, no matter the cost!" he shouted at her, anger burning in his eyes. "Hope won't save the world."

Aang stood up, and limped away from them. He didn't know where he was headed, but it didn't matter. He needed to get away, though. Get away from all this.

"Aang!" Katara called. She began to get up, but Sokka stopped her.

"Let him work it out on his own," he said solemnly.

Zuko's foot now kicked the sand in the group's direction. "Work it out? What are you talking about? Ozai is an hour away from destroying the world, and you're talking about working it out!"

Everyone was quiet for a moment, and then Zuko receded to his sand-kicking position, opposite direction of the group, facing the water.

Sokka slumped his head down. "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know Sokka." Katara replied. "I don't know."

* * *

Aang had been walking for a long time before he reached the edge of the beach.

He hesitated for a second, and then sank into the sand, watching the tide move in, and move out.

"Katara's worried about you. We all are, Aang."

He turned to see Sokka standing over him, and turned back to the waves that crashed ahead. Sokka sat down next to him.

"They're right to feel that way," he said, eyes dead ahead. "I'm not the Avatar anymore, I can't protect them." Aang looked to Sokka now, and then looked to the sand below. "I have this horrible feeling. Like I can't control anything, everything's spinning out of control."

"It's called being normal, Aang. I get it a lot." Sokka said, with a small smile.

"That's just the thing. It's like I'm not supposed to feel this way. Being the Avatar and being normal are enemies," he said glancing back at Sokka. "They're not supposed to be fighting the same war."

"Well, everyone's normal at first," Sokka began, following the waves movement with his eyes, "until we meet people that, and I know this gonna sound cheesy, people that make us feel special."

Aang smiled.

They watched the waves silently.

* * *

Ozai's laughter still echoed through the stone walls of his throne room.

Zhao's eye had been completely desecrated, nothing would repair it now. He stepped backwards and turned to the left.

"Where do you think you're going?" Ozai called, and he thrust another lightning bolt towards him.

It struck him in his backside, although it did not seem to affect him in any way. Zhao started walking to the left, taking three steps, and then he stopped and turned towards the entrance of the room.

"In my time away from you my lord, I accomplished many things. Not only did I gain the Avatar's bending, but also his connection to the spirit world," Zhao said, now moving another three steps.

Ozai growled as Zhao now turned to the right and began walking.

"I now have the power to access the spirit world," he stated, turning one last time towards Ozai. "You think you'll rule this world? You're dead wrong." He took one more step, paused, and then sat to the middle of the square he had formed, in a meditative position.

"What are you doing?!" Ozai howled. He attempted to fire another round of lightning, only to find his energy depleted, out of strength.

Suddenly, a black line appeared above Zhao. With a horrible ripping sound, it began unzipping like a jacket. Black pincers split the zipper open and climbed out, as Ozai stumbled backwards in fear. The wind rustled violently, its anger revolving around the hole, blowing Zhao's black hair back.

Ozai was still scrambling when he hit the wall behind him. His face was distorted from all the fear Zhao had caused him.

The black pincers stepped to the ground and something resembling a head squeezed itself out of the small hole.

What now stood in front of the petrified Fire Lord was a centipede-like spider. Pincers surrounded its entire body.

He could hear the traitor's voice against the thrashing wind, but his words were blurry. He could feel the fear now shaking around his body, but his body was numb. He could taste the blood now spewing from his mouth. He could smell something vile, something not of this world.

And as he looked up, he saw the creature's face, and the smile that crept upon its face. And he could feel his face burn like a fire, though nothing would rise from the ashes.


	7. Chapter 7

The pool of blood surrounding the ashes of where Ozai once stood began to gleam, and a streak of yellow-red ran through it. Zhao turned to face the sky to see the same yellow-red racing through the atmosphere.

"Sozin's comet is finally here."

* * *

Aang was the first to sense it in his sleep. The waves had eased him to bed hours ago but he had felt some light blazing through the darkness of his closed eyes. And then he woke. The sky had turned a dark red as the rock hurdled closer and closer towards the Earth. He jumped up, alerting Sokka who was snoozing next to him.

"Sozin's comet is here!" he shouted into the waves. He looked around intensely, and noticed the palms growing from the dirt that stood near the beach, the huts that ran all along its sand. "And we're...here..."

Sokka stood up now, directing his gaze towards the comet. An expression of sadness, disappointment and anger smeared his face.

Aang changed his gaze to Sokka. "How did we miss it?" he shouted at a wincing Sokka.

"Aang, it wouldn't have mattered. We were never going to beat the Fire Nation." he said, slumping his shoulders and rubbing his eyes.

"And what about the others, the invasion force? What are they supposed to do? Just sit there and watch the entire world burn?" Aang bellowed. He stomped at the sand in frustration.

Sokka sighed. "They'll know something is wrong when we don't show up. We can only hope now that they recognize that and just-" he sighed again, "go home."

"You're the guy who planned out our schedule months in advance for this day and you just forget to-" he began and then paused, staring. "You did this on purpose, didn't you Sokka?"

Sokka's face now resembled only anger. "Lemme get this straight: you think I kidnapped you and swam you out to the ocean, popped you on some mythological island animal thing and swam back here to act surprised that you were missing, only to come back to the same island animal thing so some guy could take away your bending and the same island animal thing would give me bending too and that I then distracted you from the oncoming destruction of the earth. And you're mad at me?!"

"You thought we wouldn't be enough to defeat Ozai in our condition, and you knew I was exhausted and tired. So, you lured me down to a quiet place to put me to sleep."

"Aang! I don't have some sort of agenda! I forgot, okay! I'm human too."

"So now millions of people are doomed because you fell asleep," Aang spat at him.

Sokka noticed something about Aang when he said that. He noticed his still drowsy disposition, his hostile expression, but mainly that something had changed inside of him, something broke. His eyes too. They were different, empty. This was not Aang he faced now. This was someone else entirely.

Sokka looked sadly at Aang and said softer, "My dad was part of the attack. You think I would just leave him, without support, without backup, just leave him to die?"

"What's one more person to your death toll?" Aang asked coldly.

Sokka stared again towards Sozin's comet. A rock on fire was causing all of this.

"I'm going back to camp," he said, starting to walk.

Aang waited for Sokka to pass the horizon. He took one last look at the waves, and shook his head fiercely, and walked back to camp with eyes straight ahead. He could still see them though, in the corner of his eyes. Pounding up against the shore, asking for persuasion, but he ignored them. He had made his decision. And red faded to black.

* * *

Zhao was fueled by the comet, he was absorbed into it. The fire pounded in his retinas, and flamed his body. Behind him, the shadow of Koh overlapped Zhao's own. The face-stealing demon had added one more to it's collection, although the triumph had quickly dissipated once it had looked over to see Zhao, staring towards the sky.

"Welcome," Zhao addressed, his back to the demon.

"Zhao," Koh snarled, twisting its fresh new face into a spiteful grimace.

"So you remember me."

"How could I forget a human being so foul, he was brought forth unto the spirit world for punishment?"

Zhao sneered. "As it turns out, your weak-willed 'punishment' was what allowed me to destroy the Avatar and gain more power than even you, Koh."

Its face changed into its typical mask as it looked down at the blood puddle at its feet. "A shame. I quite liked that one."

"He's not dead. At least not yet. You banished me to onto the land of an energy-bender. And I studied its techniques and I perfected them." A smile crept up his face as he boasted, "I stole the Avatar's bending. And I stole his spirit."

"At least you had the courtesy to leave his face," it hissed. "Why did you bring me here, Zhao? It couldn't have been to finish off this pathetic being." Koh looked up again towards him.

"I brought you here to send a message."

"To the spirit world?"

"To everyone!" he burst out, his face radiating long-suppressed hatred. "To anyone who wants to say what I did was wrong. To all those do-gooders who would have done the same thing in my position." He turned to face the demon. "To all of those with the stolen faces."

Koh lunged at him. "Fool! Haven't you learned a thing?"

Zhao's face looked sad, remorseful even as he his arm teared through the middle of Koh's face. He touched his charred eye. "I've learned I have no face anymore."

Its face began changing rapidly, rummaging through its selection, trying to find one to resolve the solution. Black liquid burst from its head, some spraying onto Zhao's chest and on his mouth.

It fell to the floor, its face finally having stopped twitching. Zhao pulled back his arm, covered in the same black gush. It spread from Koh's dead form, mixing with Ozai's blood to form an ugly, dark brown, the same color as his eye. Suddenly, Zhao felt a sharp throbbing in his head. He gripped it in pain.

It left as soon as it came, and he released his grip. But before Zhao even had time to acknowledge this inconvenience, he sensed something. He sensed shadows. He turned his gaze towards the entrance to the throne room and saw the shadows.

He saw those of the White Lotus.

* * *

The others were staring at the sky when Aang and Sokka returned to camp. Even Appa and Momo, snuggled on the sky bison's back, gazed at it. There were no stars to be seen, yet it still exuded a strange, mystical rhythm. One that demanded attention.

They had started a small fire and had all huddled around it. Sokka took a seat next to Katara, while Aang took one to the opposite side, next to Zuko.

There was an eery air that hovered around the camp fire. One that smelled of betrayal and distrust. One that had poisoned the surrounding air. Or so Aang thought.

The fire simmered briefly and then went out.

Sokka stood up. "I'll go bring back some more firewood," he volunteered. He noticed the general depressive atmosphere of the group and then added, "Anybody else wanna come with?"

Zuko, Suki, and Toph joined him. They began walking away from the camp, and Sokka looked back at Katara and Aang. Aang's face was still that different one Sokka had seen. It almost seem amplified by what little moonlight that had broken through the clouds.

Sokka turned his head back and wondered what had changed as he walked away.

Aang looked to the ground. "I need to leave."

Katara leaned in worriedly, "Leave? Aang you don't know what you're saying."

"I know exactly what I'm saying, Katara. I've failed everyone, I'm not the avatar anymore," he remarked, still examining the sand. "I just...I need to leave."

He stood up and headed towards Appa. Katara rushed to her feet.

"Aang! What are you doing?" she called, as he jumped onto the giant beast's back and grabbed the reigns. Appa stirred sleepily and slowly came to his feet, as Momo jumped off the disgruntled thing.

Aang finally turned and looked her in the eyes.

"Yip...Yip..."

The sky bison lifted into the sky and shot off north. Katara watched as it disappeared into the clouds, as those cold lifeless eyes still burned in hers.

* * *

Zhao looked over the shadows. They belonged to those of Piandao, Pakku, Jeong Jeong, Bumi, and Iroh.

"How many people do I have to kill in this room today?" He glanced at Iroh whose face held an expression of shock. "Surprised to see me again, General Iroh?"

"Zhao. How are you..." his voice trailed off.

"How am I here right now, you ask? I'm rather tired of answering that question, so I'll just summarize your current situation for you." He pointed to Ozai's blood covered corpse. "The fire lord is dead. I am the new ruler of this world. And you are all going to die." A smile flashed briefly across his face.

He lifted the ground before a witless Jeong Jeong knocking him backwards onto the steps below, his fall echoing through the walls.

"Jeong Jeong..." he muttered.

Piandao rushed towards Zhao feverishly swinging his sword. Zhao sidestepped his flurries and planted a fireball directly into his face. He flew backwards before Iroh.

"Zhao...what is this?" he breathed.

Bumi earth-bended a barrage of boulders towards him, while Pakku produced a field of water around Zhao.

A blast of air burst from the currents, and mist ran through the space. When it cleared, Zhao was nowhere to be seen.

Iroh looked frantically around the room, searching for him when Zhao appeared before his eyes, grabbing Piandao's sword, and running toward Pakku.

"No, look out!" Iroh called, but he was too late. Zhao drove the sword through Pakku's chest, and he fell to the floor.

Bumi growled and grabbed the ground underneath him, turning it into a wave of rock. Zhao leapt up and sprang behind him, generating lightning on his fingers. He landed at Bumi's back, touched his fingers to the sword and hurled the lightning-charged steel blade at him. Iroh looked away as he heard the thud of Bumi's body.

Iroh was defenseless, frozen stiff.

Zhao turned to face Iroh, dropping Piandao's sword, sparks still jumping from it.

"Were you not expecting this?" he asked as he began walking towards his only remaining enemy. "Did you believe I was still a weakling?" he demanded, kicking Pakku's body out of the way.

"I couldn't believe you were a worse man than you were before," Iroh responded. Zhao now stood before him.

"So as it turns out, you can be mistaken," he said scoffing. "Let me ask you a question, and you might as well answer it honestly considering you're about to die. Why did you turn traitor, Iroh?"

"You wouldn't understand, Zhao," Iroh said simply, staring into his burnt eye. It seemed to flicker, like a light the more he looked at it.

Zhao face contorted with anger. "Don't tell me what I can or cannot understand! I'm the one in control right now! I'm the one who controls if you live or if you die!"

Iroh remained in silence, observing Zhao.

"Do you think you're better than me?" he asked, scanning Iroh.

Iroh's face lit up. "I've made many mistakes...all that I regret. But I have accepted them. I can only move past them and strive to be stronger. Zhao, you don't accept them. You embrace them, try to spin them in your mind as victories when you lost those battles. But they aren't and you must learn that. Only then can you begin to change and become better." Iroh bent down and slid Piandao's open eyelids shut, almost subconsciously to enforce his points.

Zhao fell silent for a moment. "Your petty words are wasted on me, old man. I have no need to change."

Iroh shook his head.

Zhao suddenly raised his fist and roared. "I'M THROUGH WITH YOU." Iroh closed his eyes and braced himself.

But the blow never came.

Iroh opened his eyes and saw Zhao clutching his head in pain. He stumbled backwards and forwards, shouting. "Why...why is t-this hap-pening?" he managed to stutter through the bouts of pain.

Iroh reached to form a firebending pose, only to stop when he overheard the sound of thousands of footsteps. He looked down and saw thousands of Fire Nation soldiers. They had suddenly paused,however, and looked towards the sky. Iroh joined them as Zhao continued to cry out.

There, riding on his giant sky-bison accentuated against the moon, was the Avatar.


	8. Chapter 8

A million thoughts raced through Iroh's mind as the Avatar and his beast galloped toward him. Why was he so late? Why was he alone? Why did he look so...different?

The fire nation soldiers frozen on the steps below Iroh gazed at the magnificent sky bison. Numerous murmurs ran through the crowd.

Zhao's pain seemed to have lessened, though his hand still clenched his head in expectation of another outbreak. His eyesight was blurry, his forehead sweaty, his breath rapid and quick. When his vision came back to him, he could make out Iroh looking towards the sky. Zhao looked in the same direction and saw the Avatar.

His eyes widened. "How?" he managed to whisper through his disconnected gasps.

Aang finally began his descent, observing the surroundings. He glanced at the massive army of soldiers accumulated at the bottom of the stairs to the throne room. He turned to see Iroh staring back at him with an expression of confusion. Aang could make out a figure with a chest ridden with burns. Though he couldn't see his face, Aang knew this was the man he was looking for.

Appa landed on the steps, near Iroh. The Fire Nation soldiers finally rid themselves of their dumbfounded faces and charged towards the Avatar. Aang climbed down, and turned to face the enemy army with an empty look.

"Aang!" Iroh called, scampering quickly towards him. "We have to leave now! This is no time for a battle!"

"You won't escape this time," Zhao muttered under his breath, advancing slowly in Aang's direction.

"I'm not going," Aang responded, turning to face Iroh, "Not until I get what I'm looking for." Iroh looked at him, worried. He realized the Avatar was not here for him, nor to save the world any longer. His eyes were those seeking revenge.

The soldiers were closing in on them. Appa roared, sending a few cowering backwards, but the rest continued their charge. A few tried unleashing fireballs, but the hovering full moon silenced those attempts, reducing the fire benders' furies to mere flickers of reddish orange.

"Aang!" Iroh called again, but his eyes were empty. Until they found Zhao, glaring back at them. Their eyes locked.

Suddenly, a sharp sound echoed through. A fierce, cutting sound. A ripping sound.

The familiar pain overcame Zhao again and he screamed wildly. The pain was more intense than before, it was burning, it blurred his senses. But he could still make out another sound, another scream. The Avatar's.

Aang flailed around wildly, the pain flashing through his body in small, constant, bursts.

Iroh and the soldiers had their attention focused on something else, however.

In what seemed to be the origin point of that horrible ripping sound, a hole had appeared. It sat quietly, the only sounds that could be heard being the shouting of Aang and Zhao.

There was a sucking sound.

Air rushed into it. The hole had become a vortex, absorbing the air all around it. Rocks lifted off the steps, flying into it. Soldiers trudged against the force, grinding against the steps, but the force was too strong. One by one, they flew into the vortex.

"A gateway to the Spirit World," Iroh concluded, he too struggling to fend off its power, grabbing onto Appa's reigns. The big beast, however, was not exempt from its power, drifting slowly towards it.

Aang and Zhao's screaming finally ceased. Both collapsed to the ground. Their bodies, however, were not sucked in like everything else. They were exempt.

Iroh released the reigns, and propelled himself towards Aang with a short flame jet behind him. He managed to grab him around the waist. He shot out another flame jet behind him and propelled towards Appa, grabbing the reigns again.

"Yip, Yip!" Iroh shouted amongst the flying rubble and soldiers. Appa turned away from the hole and tried to lift off, but the pull of the vortex was too strong. Iroh shot out another fire jet, but it was not enough to escape the grasp of the vortex. He looked back at it when he saw a paw reach out of the hole. Its head poked through, and a faceless monkey stared back at Iroh.

"No!" Iroh yelled, tightly grasping Aang, although Appa finally slipped. And the three of them slipped into the Spirit World.

* * *

Sokka, Toph, Suki, and Zuko walked through the forest surrounding the beach. The tropical climate rendered the amount of dry firewood almost void, and they had been searching for almost the whole night. Sokka, all the while, had his mind on Aang.

Toph let out a groan. "Ugh, this is so boring! Let's just give up, if there were actually some firewood, we would have found it by now," she said, slowing to a stop.

"I think Toph's right," Suki commented. "Besides, we should probably get back and check on Aang and Katara."

The group turned around and began walking back to the camp, though Sokka remained still, thinking.

"Have you guys noticed anything strange about Aang lately?" he asked. The group once again stopped and looked back at him.

"He just had his Avatar power stolen on a giant floating island by a guy he thought was dead," Toph responded. "I think he's allowed to feel a little bit strange."

"No it's not that," Sokka said. "He's just..." he began, scrambling to find the right words. "He's changed."

"Changed how?" Zuko inquired.

Sokka sighed. He looked at their faces, looking for an explanation, but he couldn't give one.

"Forget it," he said after a moment of silence, "Let's head back."

They started for camp again, though Zuko looked like he was trying to figure out an answer to his own question .

"So how's this new energy-bending stuff treating you, Sokka?" Toph asked as they walked.

"It's...weird..." Sokka replied. "It's like someone's lighting a match in my stomach, like there's fire in there. And it can move anywhere to anyone," he continued. "Feels pretty good," he chuckled. "You know I always wonder-"

Zuko suddenly stopped his stride, causing a chain reaction of bumping to occur.

Sokka rubbed his head. "Hey, watch it! Are you trying to give us all concussions?"

"He's angry, isn't he?"Zuko asked. Silence, and then he spoke again. "He's angry he's lost his bending, that he's normal now and not the Avatar. Someone else is and he's angry."

Toph frowned. "But that doesn't sound like Aang at all."

"And it doesn't make any sense at all," Sokka added. "I talked to Aang on the beach, he looked like he was almost okay with it, the idea of being normal."

"Before or after Sozin's comet?" Zuko demanded, raising his voice. "Before or after he let the whole world down?"

"But he must have known that we weren't going to stop the Fire Lord , that we weren't going to come to everyone's rescue once he had his bending taken away," Sokka reasoned.

"Maybe he realized what being normal meant," Zuko responded.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means maybe he realized what being normal meant. That he could be normal and have a family, I don't know, things like that." Zuko's face looked sad. "But then he realized what it also meant. No special powers to save the world"

"And why do you think you know everything that's going inside Aang's head?" Sokka asked.

Zuko reached for his face and touched his scar. "I'd say I'm the most qualified."

Sokka realized the impact of his words and placed his hand on Zuko's shoulder.

"I'm sorry."

Zuko grabbed Sokka's arm and threw it off his shoulder. "Everybody's human," he replied turning back, and resuming his walk, leaving the rest of the group behind.

"Even me."

* * *

Momo sat perched on Katara's shoulders, twiddling with some straw he had found in the grass. He leapt to the ground realizing this venture was a waste of time, and scurried into some nearby hedges.

Katara remained where Aang had left her. Cold and alone, except for the resonance of Momo's squeals through the tall grass. The waves crashed quietly behind her, and the full moon shone bright in the starry sky.

She could feel the power the moon gave her, how it boosted her strength, her anger. The young water bender stood up, and walked towards the waves, slowly beckoning her.

Katara wondered while she walked: why had Aang left, and why with such sadness? Was it because of her, was all this her fault? Was this all caused when she refused to kiss him, to tell him how she felt...

She reached the shoreline, kicking off her shoes. This time, she beckoned the waves.

She reached out her arms and began pulling. The waves mimicked her.

The moon's light now shined more than ever on Katara as she pulled and pushed the waves violently back and forth. She strained as the waves accumulated into one giant one, one that she was still pulling and pushing.

Before too long, Katara was bending a tsunami. Tears streamed from her face as she struggled to withstand the wave's massive pressure.

Behind her, she heard rustling leaves, and then a voice call her. Sokka's hand rushed to her shoulder as her bending transferred over to him. Katara fell to the ground, in tears as the rest of the group ran to comfort her.

Sokka fought to blow back the wave, sweat now dripping from his face. But in the same way it had filled Katara, the moon's light shone on him now.

He gave one more push with his arms and the tsunami fell backwards, imploding in on itself, a loud crash registering as it collided with the water. Small shockwaves rippled back to shore, but the wave was gone.

Sokka panted as he sat down next to Katara, her face in her arms. "Where's Aang?" he asked, calmly.

Katara lifted her face out of her arms. "He's gone," she said, sniffling and holding back more tears and she reached to hug Sokka, placing her arms around his shoulders. He gripped her tightly. "It's ok."

And in that same instant, the moon's light met Katara's tears and a single drop of white fell from her eyes.

* * *

They were falling.

Iroh, Aang, and Appa were crashing to the ground below them. Appa quickly caught himself in the fall, turning onto his stomach mid-air. Iroh, still holding Aang, maneuvered himself onto Appa's back. The sky bison slowed and landed onto the rough landscape.

Iroh climbed off, lifting Aang onto his back and slugging him over his shoulders. He looked around, the only surroundings being rocks. The sky was yellow and foggy and the air dreary. Suddenly, a shade of red caught the corner of his eye.

Iroh climbed a pair of rocky steps, attempting to get a better view. There spread over what seemed to be almost a mile, lay fire nation soldiers, each one slowly regaining consciousness and helping one another up.

One soldier pointed to their direction. " Look, it's the Avatar!"

The remaining soldiers focused their attention where Aang, Iroh, and Appa now stood. The old fire bending master streaked his brow.

"Oh, dear."


	9. Chapter 9

The soldiers began their assault.

Iroh placed Aang on Appa's back, and surveyed the charging enemies. There must have been thousands and thousands of them, each one dashing towards their position.

But, Iroh noticed the looks on some soldiers as they charged, that distinctive mixture of confusion and anger. He knew he could exploit it.

"Wait!" he called, in a deep voice. The soldiers' had no choice, but to obey that powerful, intimidating word. They stopped their charge, and stayed their weapons.

Iroh recognized the temporary ceasefire, and stepped towards the vast red crowd.

"Warriors of the Fire Nation," he addressed, in that same demanding voice, "take a look around you. What do you see?"

The soldiers studied their surroundings, eliciting many small murmurs among them. The terrain was nothing but rocky landscape and a yellow sky.

"You are no longer in the Fire Nation. You are in the Spirit World."

This time, shouting was the response. The crowd's volume descended to make heard a soldier who was in front of the pack.

"You may believe in the 'Spirit World' old man, but you're talking to the Fire Nation. None of us believe in that magic spirit garbage."

Iroh raised an eyebrow. "Oh, no?" He sucked in a massive amount of air, his bellow inflating like a balloon. He released the air in flames, a group of flames that ran together to form an animal: a dragon. It was a giant fire in the sky, its eyes blazing alive.

The soldiers gasped, and gaped in horror. Then, it roared. A giant inferno stream ran just above the heads of the army, some ducking in fear.

As the stream faded, the dragon collapsed in on its own flames, one by one, into an implosion that sent scorching shockwaves into the air.

Iroh smirked as the last of the fire flickered out around him. "Do you believe in that magic spirit garbage now?"

While the rest of the soldiers quivered before Iroh, the one who had retorted against him earlier had simply fainted.

His point obviously taken, Iroh continued. " As I said before, we are in the spirit world. Needless to say, it is nothing like our world. It is dangerous and filled to the brim with things that can do far worse than breathe out a fire dragon." He paused, letting out a brief cough of fire. "If you wish to escape this place, you must obey my commands, and do nothing irrational to provoke the spirits. Only then, will I lead you out back into the real world. Do you understand?"

They nodded slowly.

"Good."

Another soldier was raised above the crowd. "But, how are we going to get home?"

"You let me worry about that," Iroh responded. He turned his back from the uneasy army and faced Appa, carrying the unconscious Aang on his back.

"Come. Let's get moving." He grabbed Appa's reigns, and before moving, gazed to the sky. It had turned to a dark red, and what seemed like clouds had been spread out throughout the horizon. The distant sound of thunder echoed against the silent landscape.

Iroh turned away and began walking. "A storm is coming."

* * *

Zhao's eye finally opened.

He felt as if he had been unconscious for days, his eyesight blurring rapidly into focus. A severe headache pounded over his thoughts, strained especially in his forehead.

Zhao raised head and felt his forehead. His hand returned to him covered in dark, murky blood. He glared at the blood pool on his palm.

"What happened here?" he asked himself, smearing his hand into the ground, smudging the red substance onto the earth.

The ground, he noticed, had taken its fair beating. Cracks covered the rocks, with some large spikes squeezing between the crevices. Stones in the throne room had been overturned and collapsed on each other. The blood of Iroh's companions still stained them.

Zhao rose to his feet, and surveyed what lay beyond the flight of steps.

The entire middle section of the steps had been desecrated by an air blast, it seemed. It continued into the buildings beyond; all the structures that had been in the path of the air blast were now in rubble. It was deathly silent.

"The soldiers are gone," he observed, looking back around him, "as is the Avatar and Iroh. But where to?"

Suddenly, Zhao sensed someone behind him. He turned facing, the figure who remained shrouded in the shadows of two hanging stone pillars. But, Zhao could tell just from the silhouette the identity of the figure.

"Princess Azula," he greeted.

She stepped out of the shadows, scowling.

Zhao stared at the body of the Fire Lord laying at her feet. "But then, I guess you're not a princess anymore."

* * *

There was a sense of unrest among the Ember Island camp.

The threat of a Fire Nation attack loomed over them like Sozin's Comet itself. Every moment there was a chance, a chance for destruction.

The atmosphere around the group was murky and uncertain. Katara had slumped into absolute silent after the, as Sokka called it, "tsunami debacle." The day after the incident, she stared at the ocean for hours on end, refusing to move or eat. Sokka tried multiple times to approach her, but something stopped him each time. A feeling of guilt, of not staying with her, or Aang for that matter.

His own attitude became increasingly temperamental. He dismissed Suki's own increasingly feeble attempts to comfort him. She was a warrior, and her nature was evident, and useless. She felt useless. That's why she left in the night, never turning back from Sokka, and the waves dropping behind him.


End file.
